James B. Eads Dead

Capt. James 15. Eads, iho great Ainefican öughiear, tliVd at Xassuii, on New Providenee of the Bahamas, a few days ago. . Jame Iiurhanan Eads was born in I.:uin.M!oebiu'i;, Iml., Slay 28, 1820. AVhen he was 18 liis párente removed to St. Louis and that city bas since been his home. He was clerk in a store and then on a steamboat, devotlong his spare time to the study of engineering. He Invented a valuable dlving bell and ihen constructed a noveland poweri'ul machine for pumpJig.jout siinken -boats. As eaily as 185G he DÍade a proposition to th government to remove the snags and wrecks obstructiiiK the Jlississippi, Missouri, Ohio aiul Arkansas rlvers, but the blll acceptlng hls proposition passed only pne btanch of congress. He perfornted valuable services for tlie govermnent during the rebellion in designing and superintending the construction of vessels Of war. These Included iron-clad steanicrs and six turreteU lron vessels, all heavily plated. ()a the Jatter was made the first application of Bteam to tlie manipulation of heavy artlllery. He deslgned the fanum.s steelarched bridge over the Mississippi at St. Louis. Capt. Eads' chlef reputation as an engineer rosta apon the work of deepening the Mississippi at its niouth by means of a system of pafhllel jettles, buili so as to prevent the from spreadlng out :i [( enters Uie gulf, thereby losing lts velocity and lts power to Bustaln the sedlmentary matter wlth which its waters are heavily charged. Thla work was begnn In 1874, and soveral millions of dollars wcre spent on it. The latest great engineering scheme wlth whlch the name of Kads has been identiiied is the proposed snip railway across the i-thmus. This great enterprlso, with wlüch the public, is tolerably familiar, was engaging his attention at the time of h is death. .